now I know the new year has really begun

The regular radio announcers and TV presenters are back on air. The kids are back at school (in 100 degree weather poor things!) traffic is back, no more carefree cruising around Sydney, which it appears has been voted one of the least popular cities in OZ. Traffic and transport is one of the reasons for its lowly status. I still love it, I dont' care what they say, although I get as frustrated as the next one at not being able to find parking.

It is too hot to write so this will be short. Have to tell you a little anecdote though.

I was taking Annika back home after her holiday stay with me. She asks me what 'grounded' means. Being a sociology graduate I explain as simply as I can about having one's feet firmly planted in the earth, not being up yourself if you get famous etc. 'Do you understand Annika?' I say in my most gentle voice, marvelling at the depth of question from a seven year old.

'Yes but there's another meaning Grandma. When you're naughty....'

I burst out laughing. There I am getting all esoteric, and all she wansd was confirmation of a concept she knows already. She'll probably experience a few 'groundings' in her growing up years.

Melissa & Mark, her boyfriend

We celebrated Melissa's 20th, only one more year to the big one.

an experiment up loading video or ...Skye's latest diet

 

okay I see it is unfocused and taken while on the road in Northern NSW. Hope you can access it alright. The photo is clearer.

Skye (8 months) playing with cousins annika and mathew

poodle with pink ears

Saw a white poodle with pink ears yesterday outside Woolworth's in Campsie (of all places) at 8 'o' clock in the morning. He/she? was looking out of a truck window as was his owner (a man) as if waiting for someone. My first thought? It's nearly Mardi Gras time.

One of the events leading up to the famous parade in early March is (or used to be) a doggie get together of local gays. The poodle with pink ears remnded me of that. I attended one once, saw all kinds of costumes and outfits, not only on the dogs.

Sydney's Mardi Gras is now a big money spinner for the city. People come from all over the place for the month long festivities, following hot on the heels of the Sydney Festival.

Talk about hot, it's going to be a hot one today. Am planning to go to the pool with Annika to cool off, then work on getting her interested in going to the museum of modern art to see Annie Liebowitz's exhibition. I've always liked her stuff and I believe the woman needs the money! Not that my concession price ticket (children under 12 free) will make that much difference. It's good to expose the kid to something other than Shrek & Toy Story, good though they are. But it's been hard getting her interested in going to the city this time. Not sure why.

Just had a thought, there might be a picture of Annika's great love, Michael Jackson in the exhibition. That'll get her.

For now we have to work out which movie to see tomorrow. We've done Narnia, I kind of fancy Tangled, having seen in the preview some of the amazing things they do with the woman's long blond hair. Gulliver's going to be too scary according to Annika. She fancies Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Oh dear.

Misperceptions

Packing: pack what you think you need then halve it.
Tying a parcel with ribbon:  mark off what you think you need then double it

oops double mailing

Sorry to my email recipients who recieved 2 versions of the previous blog. I was in a shopping centre using Mcdonald's free WiFi and every time I pressed the edit button it signed me out. The second version is the 'correct' one.

I hasten to add that was the only thing of Mcdonald's I was using as I whiled away the time waiting for my car to be serviced. Fortunately they didn't charge me as much as I was expecting thereby justifying the new bra and sandals I  bought while waiting.

I've put out the new photo calendar (thank you Kathie, great memories of our recent adventures) washed my new 5-pack of Sloggis (undies to the uninitiated) whch are now ready to wear (thank you Maxine) and tried out my new induction cooktop and pots (Thank you Maxine, Cristina & spouses)

Great excitement as I cooked the evening meal. For once in 11 years I could have three pots going all at the same time (only had 2 burners before) and I didn't have to wait 10 minutes for them to heat up. In no time I had fried chicken, cauliflower and cheese sauce on my plate. Looks as though the microwave might become redundant. T'will be interesting to see what the next electricity bill reveals.

Having brung on the new, I'm now casting out the old. I spotted a book swap store in Burwood yesterday, have earmarked it to off load some books. Speaking of books I've just finished reading A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. It was published in 1995 and is a great read. I love the characters and feel for them through their many trials and traumas.

But I digress.

I've been busy tearing up old bills, receipts and invoices this morning. Not a bad occupation when you feel like tearing your hair out watching the cricket. England looks very strong, Australia bumbling along. At least I've got room in my filing cabinet now.

Going to use up some old frozen bananas and make a loaf out of them then a short rest before heading out for the Opera House to see 'Love, Loss and  What I Wore.' Not sure what it is but it's probably funny. I hope so.





  

NYE in Bangalow

For once I wasn't in Sydney for NYE. Instead I spent a lovely 6 days in Northern NSW with Maxine, Dirk and the delicious Skye in a house lent to them by friends.

I almost didn't get there. The Jetstar craft flying up around the same time as me couldn't land because of poor visibility and returned to Sydney. The trusty prop plane of Rexair made it, albeit a bit bumpily, and to the accompaniement of teenage girls screaming every time we hit a tiny airpocket. Such sooks!

 Fortunately the rain held off for the next 3-4 days so we could get out, exploring downtown Bangalow's 2 streets on day 1 and lunching at the pub;



lunch at the pub 





we call this pose 'Hello Boys!'

 the next day re-visiting Byron Bay. It was like arriving in the middle of 'Schoolies' week. The place has lost its charm I'm afraid. Skye had her first encounter with the ocean, not that great but let's face it, it takes a while.



on the road

 Day 3 we shopped in Ballina, nice wide streets full of people nearer my own age, many of them in electric buggies!!! Not yet please!

We had some success with Skye in the pool, splashing arms and legs very seriously. One day I'm sure it will be with joy, all she needs is more exposure. Dirk is not so sure.

The grownups behaved like children when the scrabble board came out in the evenings, Maxine fiercely determined to put down the best possible word every go, and taking her time about it (Dirk and I worked on the cryptic crossword while she ruminated!) Dirk claiming he didn't give a s.... but still keen to play, and me, well of course I was perfect!

The beer and wine flowed, Maxine cooked some super meals and Skye was an angel... except for the early rising. The latest was 5.45 am, the earliest 4.45am . When she's awake that gal is ready to party, to the extent that she doesn't realise she's hungry. It's like she's afraid of missing something if she stops to eat. Another determined girl in our midst, what could we expect?

And what would a holiday be like without Maxine and a bean bag?

On New Year's Day it was too wet for Skye to go on the grass, the cat was too lazy to entertain her, the cows didn't visit and the chooks had lost their novelty. She missed the lone wallaby hopping along the bottom of the garden. The kid was getting cabin fever. We headed for Bangalow in the misty rain. Our favourite cafe was full, we ended up at the bakery; they had to give us free food to get rid of us!

I left Bangalow glowing in sunshine and arrived in Sydney in a storm. Picked up late delivered Christams cards and reflected on my lovely break. Thank you for making it possible Maxine and Dirk.

merry jingles

Well…the enforced dieting occasioned by the gastro bug I caught from Skye finally left in time for me to enjoy everything on offer on Christmas Eve, a feast with a Portuguese flavour, mainly their specialty salted codfish dishes, bacalhau (had to look up how to spell it)

There was bacalhau with boiled potatoes and Chinese broccoli, doesn’t sound very attractive but it was delicious as was the shredded codfish mixed with fried potatoes, onions, garlic etc. yummy! Then there were the prawns, the salads, my Mexican dip. If that were not enough, the dessert table groaned with strawberry shortcake, chocolate tarts. Portuguese tarts, Molotov (a Portuguese version of pavlova, soft with a lovely syrup) and my favourite, a sort of baked custard with caramel syrup.

And Christmas hadn’t even started yet.

When we got to Eddie’s house we had to wait until Mathew was asleep before Santa could put the presents under the tree. Finally at 2 am we could retire.

‘Daddy, is that big present mine? Can I open it?’ Mathew at the top of his lungs. His voice can’t half penetrate. Five pairs of bleary adult eyes opened…it was 6.30am.

Lego’s shares must have gone up 50% this Christmas. What with Lego diggers, Lego police trucks, a Lego table put up by dad, and the piece de resistance, Lego Buzz Light which took Melissa’s boyfriend Mark about 2 hours to put together.





Glad I opted for clothes. Mathew never took off his Steven Gerard soccer outfit all day...well... almost. More on that later. 

Annika loved her disco jacket (from the UK) and the dresses Kit and I bought at Braidwood quilt fair in November but her disco pants itched her legs. Too bad.

Annika with itchy dico pants



Lunch consisted of two whole snappers, one cooked on the barbecue and the other in the Hewer’s new oven. Not that it was a competition or anything!!!! There was little to choose between them but we think the oven-baked one had the edge. Melissa roasted a chicken with stuffing to die for. Sorry but I’m going to have to ditch Krista’s grandmother’s recipe for this one. It's the feta cheese that did it. Melissa also made a sumptuous dessert, alas not destined for our table but for Mark's later. Never mind we had more than enough to be going on with.



Melissa lashing on the cream



One by one we catnapped throughout the day although Mathew’s nap had consequences for the couch and the Steven Gerard soccer shorts. Poor kid was so ashamed it took him ages to come and video skype with Skye who was doing Christmas with Oma, Opa and cousins in Taree.

Skye with Oma, Opa & cousins

It took three trips up the stairs to my flat to offload the two pans for my new induction cooktop,(how I love that!!!) the Slogis, the photo calendar, the Merle Regle Crossword Book, the mug, the lotions, the Chai Tea, the chocolates etc.

Boxing Day: Kit and I went to see that marvellous film, The King’s Speech. If that doesn’t win any Oscars I don’t know what will.

Hope you all enjoyed your Christmas as much as I did